Blog

There are BIG things happening in South Florida for our LGBTQ community and for your statewide LGBTQ rights organization! Equality Florida is thrilled to highlight two key local policy victories, announce the recognition of a champion LGBTQ legislator and share the good news about how our staff is growing. We hope you take pride in this EQFL update which your support has made possible.
Miami-Dade County LGBTQ Advisory Board

This week, the Tampa Bay Times reported the Pasco County School District adopted a one-page guidance for employees on creating a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQ students. Equality Florida responds to the news and reiterates the importance of LGBTQ Support Guides in schools.

ORLANDO, FL - Today Equality Florida Action PAC, Florida’s largest political committee working to elect pro-equality candidates, announced its endorsement of Buddy Dyer for re-election of Mayor of Orlando.

Summer has come and gone, and now school is back in session. For some LGBTQ young people, this time of year is filled with dread and anxiety as they wonder if their teachers and friends will accept them.

Equality Florida is proud to announce our Summer 2019 intern cohort! We have representation from all over the state, including cities such as Gainesville, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Miami, Palm Beach, Orlando and many more! Learn a little about our interns and help us welcome them to the team:

June 12 will forever be one of the hardest days for the LGBTQ community. On this day in 2016, hate walked into Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and opened fire. Forty-nine souls, guilty of nothing more than being themselves, were taken that night. Today and every day, we grieve for the futures they deserved but were robbed of.
The attack on Pulse changed how we see the fight for equality. If we are going to create a world where the next generation of LGBTQ folks are safe, we will have to uproot hatred, discrimination, and violence of all kinds in our culture.

St. Petersburg, FL - In a historic vote, the St. Petersburg City Council recognized majority LGBTQ-owned businesses and will include them in the city’s Small Business Enterprise program. The move will help to ensure that majority LGBTQ-owned entities, like other minority-owned businesses, are competitive in procuring city contracts.

Orlando, FL - Advocacy groups and organizations affiliated with homeless facilities denounce the Trump Administration’s proposed rollback of homeless shelter rights and protections for the transgender community and stand together in support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Equal Access Rule.

School’s out for the summer — and we’re joining students, teachers, and administrators in celebrating the end of another school year!
Reflecting on this whirlwind of a year... I have to say, I am incredibly proud of what our Safe & Healthy Schools program has accomplished. It’s because of the dedication of Equality Florida Supporters to create a better world for LGBTQ youth that has allowed us to make such significant strides forward!

Advocacy groups and organizations affiliated with homeless facilities denounce the Trump Administration’s proposed rollback of homeless shelter rights and protections for the transgender community and stand together in support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Equal Access Rule.